


Found

by castronomicaaal



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 05:24:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8088874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castronomicaaal/pseuds/castronomicaaal
Summary: Somehow it’s Beth who finds him, curled up in the grass just along the fence perimeter.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during the period Rick sees Lori's ghost.

Somehow it’s Beth who finds him, curled up in the grass just along the fence perimeter.

He wreaks of death, blood smeared along his cheeks and down his arms and coloring his button up red. She watches quietly for a moment or so before intervening; before allowing her presence to be known.

“It’s getting dark.”

He doesn’t reply, just shifts slightly from his spot on the ground. Bits of grass stick to his sweaty cheek.

“The others,” she continues. “They’re getting worried.”

“Does Hershel know you’re out this late?” He offers in response, eyes still boring holes into the chain link fence beside him. If Beth didn’t know any better she’d think he was looking at _something._ Something she can’t see. Maybe she doesn’t want to.

“I can take care of myself.”

Rick sighs, his tongue poking out to trace along his lower lip. Beth watches intently.

“You need to come inside.” She tries again, growing exasperated. The night is growing chilly, causing goosebumps to pop up along her bare arms.

“I can take care of myself too, you know.” He grunts, unamused.

Beth rolls her eyes. “Everybody needs a little help sometimes,” she points out. “You commin’ or am I gonna have to send Daryl out here after you?”

Finally Rick rolls over, his eyes meeting hers. He looks at her for a moment before frowning. “Why you?”

“Why me what?” She crinkles her brow in confusion.

“Why’d you come out here for me? Why you?”

Beth shrugs, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. “You looked…sad.”

He runs his hand through his already disheveled hair.

“I’m sorry Rick,” she backtracks, shaking her head. “I know it’s none of my business. I just, I thought maybe...” Beth pauses, biting her lip. “I don’t know really.”

“I’m seein’ her.”

Rick’s admittance startles her but she doesn’t ask him to elaborate. She knows who he is referring to. She sighs before sitting down in the tall grass, near Rick. He sits up beside her.

“I saw my mom after, you know.” She tells him, her fingers playing with a lanky blade of grass. “For a few weeks or so, until you all found us on the farm.”

He crosses his hands over his lap, staring at the blonde with intensity. “How’d you get it to stop?”

Beth shrugs, thinking about it for a second. “I guess it kinda had to do with you a little bit. You made me realize that she really was gone, that she couldn’t come back like daddy had said she could. And then one day she just…stopped showing up. I let her go, Rick. You will too, when you’re ready.”

“I know Lori’s never commin’ back. But I still see her, Beth. Everywhere I go she’s just, she’s there. I can’t live like this.”

The hurt in his voice startles Beth. She visibly shakes, turning away. She knows what it feels like to experience pain in that way. She closes both eyes tightly and sighs deeply.

“It won’t last forever. Only you can let her go,” she replies sincerely.

Rick shakes his head, biting at his lip to stop from growing emotional. He’s already shown too much to the blonde, already let her in too much. “It’s hard.”

Beth nods understandingly, tentatively placing her hand on top of his own. Rick looks down, watching as she entwines their fingers, but doesn’t make to pull away. “You’re the strongest man I’ve ever met,” she admits. “If anyone can get through this, it’s you.”

“You’re puttin’ too much faith in me, Beth.” He shakes his head, frowning. “I’m not the person you think I am.”

Beth pushes off the ground, moving to kneel in front of him instead. Afterwards she reconnects their hands. “You’ve never done anything to prove differently.”

“I’m…crazy. I can’t do this.”

“You’re sad,” she corrects him, squeezing his hand tighter. “No one expects you to be brave all the time.”

“But I do—”

“—people always put the most pressure on themselves. Rick, trust me, you’ll be fine. You are fine. And you’re a damn good leader.”

Somehow, this causes Rick to smile softly. “I bet Hershel would have a fit, hearin’ you talk like that.”

Beth’s eyes glisten momentarily, a smile of her own playing upon her lips. “I’m sure there’s lots of things I do that daddy would have a fit over.”

“Oh yeah?” Rick teases, his eyebrow arching curiously. “And what would they be?”

She giggles softly, shaking her head. Her blonde hair moves gently in the wind.

He first notices how dark it’s growing, and realizes it’d probably be best for them to go back before someone else comes looking, no doubt getting Beth into trouble. The second thing he notices is just how _bright_ blue her eyes are. They meet his easily and he feels his breath catching in his throat.

Somehow Beth’s lips catch his own, her gentle skin pressing against the coarse hair of his beard.

Rick knows this is wrong, that the young girl kneeling before him has absolutely no business pressing her lips to his own. He has no business wrapping his arms around her waist in return. Still, he does.

For a brief moment they’re united—two sets of lips become one and two bodies meld together. She tastes like the sweetest bite of candy he’s ever had. Beth moans lightly into his mouth, pressing her hands against both of his cheeks, pulling him in deeper.

If a sin feels this good, is it really a sin?

Rick doesn’t have much time to elaborate on these thoughts because a distant voice soon pulls them from their kiss.

“Beth? Rick? Where the hell are you two at?”

They pull away just in time for a small beam of light to find them, quickly followed by Daryl.

“God dammit, Hershel’s goin’ crazy lookin’ for you, Beth.” He offers in annoyance, clearly not pleased to have been selected for this little mission.

Beth knows she should care, but she can still feel the ghost of Rick’s lips pressed to her own. She smiles instead.

“C’mon, it’s dark.”

With that Daryl turns around and takes off, back towards the prison.

Beth and Rick meet eyes one last time and the blonde blushes briefly, clasping her hand around his own. Rick holds on tightly.

They make their way back to the prison, but not before he chances a glance back behind him.

Nobody stands there. The grass is empty.

A part of him hurts, knowing she’s no longer standing there. A bigger part feels relief. The palm touching his own is warm, alive.

Maybe Rick can do this after all.


End file.
